Tool for opening cardboard cartons and other containers



May 13, 1941. c HOLMES 2,241,995

TOOL FOR OPENING CARDBOARD CARTONS AND OTHER CONTAINERS Filed Nov. 8, 1958 avwwwl ozd U. H Holmes.

Patented May 13, 1941 TOOL FOR OPENING CARDBOARD CARTONS AND OTHER. CONTAINERS Charles H. Holmes, Russell Springs, Ky., assignor of two-thirds to Stanley R. McClure and onethird to William '1. Robinson, both of Russell Springs, Ky.

Application November 8, 1938, Serial No. 239,554 7 1 Claim. (01. 30--2) This invention relates to cutting tools and more particularly to a cutter especially designed for opening cardboard cartons and similar containers.

The object of the invention is to provide a comparatively simple and inexpensive device of the character described, by means of which the walls of a cardboard carton may be conveniently cut or severed to permit ready access to the interior thereof without liability of damaging the contents of the carton.

A further object of the invention is to provide an opener, the cutting blade of which is so disposed as to cut through the side wall or walls of a carton at an angle to the top wall thereof thereby to facilitate the cutting operation in that the diagonal cut in the carton produced by the blade permits the walls of the cut to spring open and prevents friction on the sides of the blade and due to the shearing action of the blade also assists in preventing fouling of the cutting blade by the fiber of the cardboard adhering to the edges of said blade when the latter becomes to some extent dull.

A further object is to provide an opener including a body portion having a longitudinal seating groove adapted to receive the upper edge of a carton, one wall of said seating groove being curved in the arc of a circle to allow a slight rocking movement of said body portion relative to the cartons when it is desired to cut close to the corner of said carton.

A still further object of the invention is generally to improve this class of devices so as to increase their utility, durability and efliciency.

In the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification and in which similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures of the drawing:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a cutting tool or opener embodying the present invention showing the same in position on a corrugated cardboard carton,

Figure 2 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1,

Figure 3 is a longitudinal sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 2,

constructed of wood and having a longitudinally Cir disposed substantially V-shaped seating groove 6 formed therein adapted to receive the top and one side of a carton, indicated at 1. One wall 8 of the seat is preferably straight and adapted to bear flush against the top of the carton I, while the other wall 9 of said seat is curved in the arc of a circle topermit a slight rocking movement of the body portion on the carton for the purpose hereinafter referred to. Detachably secured to the body portion and forming a part of the curved wall 9 thereof is a clamping strip ID, the inner face of which is formed with a diagonally disposed groove II which registers with a correspondingly shaped groove l2 formed in a fiat surface 13 on said body portion. Interposed between the fiat surface I3 and the clamping strip I0 is a cutting tool, indicated at I4. The cutting blade [4 is preferably in the form of a single edge razor blade, the back of which is provided with a reinforcing strip I5 which fits within the grooves II and I2 and serves to guide the cutting blade l4 when adjusting said blade towards and away from the seat 6. The grooves II and I2 terminate in end walls I6 constituting stops which by engagement with the reinforcing strip [5 of the razor blade serve to limit the inward movement of the blade and prevent the cutting edge of the latter from contacting with the wall 8 of the seating groove and dulling or otherwise injuring the blade. The cutting blade 14 is retained in position by means of clamping screws I! which extend through the strip l0 and serve to hold the blade firmly in position during the cutting operation.

It will here be noted that, owing to the disposition of the cutting blade l4 relative to the wall 8 of the seating groove, when the device is positioned on the top of a carton, the blade M will cut through the adjacent side wall of the carton at an angle to the top thereof and close to the corner of the carton so as to permit ready access to the interior of the carton without in any manner damaging the contents thereof. By imparting a slight rocking movement to the body portion, the angle of the cutting blade M with respect to the adjacent side wall of the carton may be changed so as to cut or sever the carton approximately at the intersection of the top and side walls thereof so that all danger of damaging the contents of the carton is reduced to a minimum. Furthermore, owing to the angle or disposition of the cutting edge of the blade with respect to the side walls of the carton, said blade will cut diagonally through the corrugated cardboard instead of cutting in a plane at right angles thereto, and this shearing action of the blade not only facilitating the cutting operation but assists in preventing fouling of said cutting blade.

In operation, the cutting tool is grasped in the right hand and positioned on the top of the carton in the manner shown in Figure 1 of the drawing when by imparting a longitudinal movement to the opener, the cutting blade thereof will produce a diagonal cut in the side walls of the carton so that access may be obtained to the contents thereof, as will be readily understood. While the opener is particularly designed for cutting the side of a carton loose from the top thereof, it can also be used with equally good resuits for entirely severing the top from the side walls of the carton by drawing the opener entirely around the circumference of the box.

In Figure 5 of the drawing, there is illustrated a modified form of the invention in which the confronting faces of the body portion l8 and clamping strip I9 are disposed at an angle to the upper surface of the body portion, as indicated at 20, instead of being arranged parallel thereto. In this form of the device, the curved faceof the seating groove is omitted and said groove provided with a straight face for contact with the adjacent side .of the carton, the construction and operation of the device being otherwise similar to that shown in Figures 1 and 2 of the drawing.

It will, of course, be understood that the openers may be made in different sizes and shapes and provided with any desired number of cutting blades Without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

A carton opener comprising a body portion having a. flat face for contact with the top of a. carton and provided with a curved face for engagement'with a side wall thereof, a clamping strip detachably secured to the body portion and having a curved surface conforming to and forming a continuation of the curved face of said body portion, a cutting blade interposed between the clamping strip and body portion and having its cutting edge projecting through the curved face of the body portion and disposed at an angle togthe fiat face thereof, and fastening devices extending through the clamping strip and into the body portion for holding the cutting blade against accidental displacement.

CHARLES H. HOLD/LES. 

